Flue expander and cutter.



PATENTED JUNE 30,1903.

A. NAULT.

PLUE EXPANDER AND CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1'7, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES latented June 30, 1903.

ARCHIE NAULT, OF ISHPEMING, MICHIGAN.

FLL JE EXPANDER AND CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,313, dated. June 30, 1903.

Application filed January 17, 1903. Serial No. 139.430. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARCHIE N AULT, a citi- .zen of the United States, residing at lshpeming, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue Expanders and Cutters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to an appliance adapted for expanding a boiler-flue and also adapted for cutting said flue, whereby it may be readily removed and replaced as desired; and my invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the preferred form whereof willbe hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

The prime object of my invention, among others, is to provide a combined instrument or tool which will be complete in itself and by which a flue may be very easily and expeditiously expanded or cut at or near its line of union with the flue board or boiler-wall, thereby permitting the flue to be easily withdrawn.

A further object of my invention is to provide interchangeable parts, fitting the instrument for use as an expander or flue-cutter, as-

desired.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter clearly set forth, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my invention complete ready for use as a flue-cutter. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal central section of parts thereof as presented in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of my flue cutter and expander, taken on line a: w of Fig. 4 and showing the removable cutters in place, while Fig. 4 shows a similar view with the cutters and also the expander-shaft removed.-

essary to illustrate a practical application thereof to use, the same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the severalviews.

' Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates the expander-shaft, which is conical throughout its entire length, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is provided at its enlarged end with the preferably integral handle portion or head section 2, having a pluality of apertures 3, through which may be extended suitable levers or rods whereby the shaft may be freely rotated in either direction. 7

The base or enlarged portion of the conical shaft 1 is provided with an angular section 4:, which is preferably square in crosssection and adapted to receive the square collar 5, which isconnected to or integrally formed with the anchoring member 6, which is of sniiic'ient length to extend throughout the length of the shaft 1 and is provided with the inwardly directed necksection 7 and the square head or collar 8, adapted to fit over the squared end 9 upon the free end of the conical shaft 1, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The head 8 is held in place upon its seat 9 by the nut 10, fitting upon the threaded terminal 11 of said conical shaft.

Designed to fit over the conical shaft 1 is the body portion 12, provided with a bore of sufficient size to receive the largest part of said shaft, whereby said shaft may be forced entirely home within said body portion. Said body portion is provided with a plurality of openings 13 of sufficient size to loosely receive the members 14:, which are provided with a rounded outer surface, as indicated by the numeral 15, and may be used with or without the knife or rotary cutter 16, as preferred. the members 14 are employed to perform the office of expanders,the rotary knife or cutter 16 will be omitted, but if designed to cooperate with said knife a suitable slit or recess is formed transversely in each of themembers, preferably near the central portion thereof, said slit being of sufficient width to permit the free rotation of the cutters 16, the latter being held in place by a shaft 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. It will therefore be underof the blocks or members 14 are thus disposed directly in contact with the peripheral face of the expander-shaft 1 and that when only the smaller end of said shaft is entered within the body portion 1 the members 14 will be entirely within the body portion, but when said shaft is forced, inward the several members 14: will be simultaneously moved outward, and thereby bring their rounded surfaces or outer sides 15 into engagement with the flue, when by rotating the shaft 1 the body portion 12 will be turned, thereby bringing the members 14 successively in contact with the inner surface of the flue and expand the same to the desired extent, whereby the outer protruding end will be left in condition to be properly upset and secured in place.

It will be understood that when the instrument is being employed solely as an expander the blocks 14 will be left entirely plain on their outer surfaces or unprovided with a cutter 16. hen, however, the instrument is to be employed as a flue-cutter, the plain members 14 will be replaced with similar members having rotary cutters 16, as shown in Fig. 5, and it is therefore obvious that by moving the shaft 1 inward within the body portion the several members, with their accompanying knives, will be moved outward, so as to bring said knives into engagement with the flue, whereby when the body is turned the knives will follow each other and cleanly out the fine at the desired point.

It will be understood that the shaft 1 is not to be forced home within the body ortion 12 at one operation, but to be moved gradually inward as the cutters 1G perform their office. It will be obvious that the office subserved by the member 6, which fits within the recess 21, is to cause the body portion 12 to turn with the shaft 1, whereby the knives or plurality of members 14 may be moved in engagement with the inner surface of the flue, while at the same time permitting said shaft to be freely moved longitudinally within said body.

I deem it unnecessary to illustrate the rods or handle portion proper designed to be extended through the apertures 3, inasmuch as it will be readily understood that a suitable rod of anydesired character maybe employed for this purpose.

While I have described the preferred combination and construction of parts deemed necessary in materializing my invention, I wish to comprehend all such substantial equivalents and substitutes as may be considered as falling fairly within the scope thereof.

Believing that the advantages and manner of using my improved expander and cutter have thus been made clearly apparent, further description is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described flue cutter and expander comprising a suitable body portion having a longitudinal central bore; a conical shaft seated in said bore; a plurality of members 14 adapted to fit loosely within apertures radially disposed within said body portion whereby the inner surface of said members will be engaged and forced outward by said shaft; lugs 20 adapted to prevent the casual displacement of said members; an anchoring member (3 said member having angular collars at each end adapted to take over shoulders upon said conical shaft whereby when said member is extended through a recess in the body portion 12 the said body portion is held against rotation upon said shaft but permitted to move longitudinally thereon as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ARCHIE N AULT.

\Vitnesses:

WM. PETERS, M. II. ORocKER. 

